


If music be the food of love....

by aljohnson



Category: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Romance, Shakespeare, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-14
Updated: 2015-02-14
Packaged: 2018-03-12 20:52:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 875
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3354899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aljohnson/pseuds/aljohnson
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Valentine's Day, 1930. Jack and Phryne pass a moment....</p><p>Features Jack playing piano and Shakespeare.</p>
            </blockquote>





	If music be the food of love....

Jack sat at the piano in the parlour playing gently. The tune was ‘Ain’t Misbehavin’ and Jack was considering adding in a burst of lyrics as he reached what would have been the second verse, but was distracted by Phryne taking a seat next to him on the piano stool.

  
“I thought today was about poetry, Inspector” said Phryne, batting her eyelashes at him.

  
“And I thought it was the sentiment, rather than the method of delivery which counted?” he asked, continuing to play but merely skimming his fingers across the keys, rendering the volume softer still.

  
“Very true, but I do love it when you recite poetry” smouldered Phryne.

  
“Did you have anything specific in mind?” Jack maintained a neutral expression but tried to consider what option Phryne may have in mind. He had no doubt that she would have a verse already chosen.

  
Phryne moved a fraction closer to Jack on the piano stool, leaning in, “Of course Jack, I am, as ever”

  
“Two steps ahead?” retorted Jack, cutting across Phryne. “Very well, Miss Fisher, why don’t you begin, and I’ll see if I can catch up.”

  
Phryne tilted her head as if in contemplation, and began to speak:

          “How oft, when thou, my music, music play’st,  
           Upon that blessed wood whose motion sounds  
           With thy sweet fingers, when thou gently sway’st  
           The wiry concord that mine ear confounds,”

Phryne paused. Jack recognised the verse as Sonnet 128. He smirked softly to himself, how did she manage to always produce something so apt? He had wondered why she had encouraged him towards the piano earlier. As Phryne paused, Jack spoke the next lines.

          “Do I envy those _jacks_ that nimble leap  
           To kiss the tender inward of thy hand,”

Jack released his fingers from the keys of the piano and gently took Phryne’s right hand in his. Unwaveringly maintaining eye contact he swept the tips of his fingers gently across her wrist before lifting her arm to his lips and gently pressing his lips to her delicate skin.

Phryne tried not to whimper. Jack’s tenderness had been no surprise to her when they had finally taken that irrevocable step to shift the nature of their relationship, but the passion he could arouse within her with the merest touch surprised her now even all these months later. She decided to cover her sudden warmth and Jack’s obvious distraction by continuing;

          “Whilst my poor lips, which should that harvest reap”

She always wanted to kiss him at times like this. To be fair, she considered, she wanted to kiss him almost all of the time. Jack felt the next line should be his, and broke off his attentions towards her wrist to speak,

          “At the wood’s boldness by thee blushing stand!”

Jack recollected that Phryne had been a revelation. He had realised, before they had progressed their relationship, that Phryne had considerably more experience in the arts of physical love than he did, but he had still been surprised at her sheer enthusiasm for the act. She still surprised him quite frequently. He wondered if they were about to make love on the piano stool. Given their activities in other parts of her house, his house, their respective vehicles and, with great reluctance on his part, in his office, then on the piano stool would not surprise him at all. He realised, through the fog of lust which was now beginning to pervade his recollections, that Phryne had picked up where he had paused,

          “To be so tickled, they would change their state  
           And situation with those dancing chips,  
           O’er whom thy fingers walk with gentle gait”

Jack took the hint and slid his hand along Phryne’s arm, bridging the gap to her waist and sliding his hand around her before gently splaying his fingers open and caressing her gently.

Phryne had found ongoing monogamy to be surprisingly easy to maintain. It had not been all plain sailing of course, but the intimacy which had developed between them was a constant surprise to her. Noting that Phryne was becoming distracted by his touch, which always spurred Jack to further ministrations, he decided the last few lines could be his,

          “Making dead wood more blest than living lips.  
           Since saucy _jacks_ so happy are in this,  
           Give them thy fingers,”

Phyrne interrupted him this time,

                                            “me thy lips to kiss”

she ended. She pulled Jack closer to her, running her fingers up his arm, her other hand sweeping around to his back. Their faces now only a breath apart, she noticed Jack’s pupils dilate and closed the distance between them. Kissing him gently she felt his fingers dig into her slightly, and pushed herself closer towards him. She deepened the kiss as she felt Jack shift his weight slightly and turn more fully towards her. His other hand was suddenly in her hair, and Phryne felt herself grateful that it was a Friday night. Her plans with Jack could well take some time, and she did so enjoy when Jack took his time. Breaking off the kiss, she leaned into Jack’s ear to whisper,

“Happy Saint Valentine’s Day, Jack”

“Happy Saint Valentine’s Day, Phryne” responded Jack, closing the distance between them to kiss Phyrne once more.

**Author's Note:**

> Was Valentine's Day a thing in Australia in 1930? Who the heck knows, but I couldn't let the opportunity pass.....


End file.
